Simon's Souls
by Washu-genius
Summary: When Simon is attacked by something horrible and unknown, the chipmunks set out to save their brother before it's too late! I suck at summaries, so give it a try. Rated T to be safe.
1. First Attack

Ok, let me get this over with. I love Simon. He's my favorite chipmunk. I picked him for the main character because of that. It's easier for me to connect with a character that I like than one I don't like. Don't kill me.  
Secondly, I don't own the Chipmunks. I'm just a huge fan.

Thirdly, the Chipmunks are awesome, I don't care what you say.  
Ok, with all of that over with, let's get this show on the road!

* * *

"Yay! Waffles! They're my favorite!" Theodore exclaimed, pouring syrup over his heaping plate of breakfast. "You say that about everything, Theodore," Simon huffed, sipping on his orange juice. "Well, that's because I like everything!" Theodore laughed, wolfing down his breakfast. Alvin gulped down his as well, giving Dave a thumbs up sign and a cheeky grin.

"Great breakfast, Dave! I especially loved how the waffles were so crispy," he said, hopping down from his chair. Dave sighed. "I burned them," he moaned. "Excellent technique, then," Alvin concluded, dusting himself off.

Simon cocked an eyebrow at Alvin. "What do you want now, Alvin?" he asked, rolling his eyes behind his giant glasses. Alvin clutched his heart dramatically and gasped. "What on earth do you mean, Simon? Can I not just congratulate Dave on a great breakfast out of the goodness of my heart?" he sobbed. Theodore nodded. "Alvin's right," he agreed, diving into his bowl of oatmeal.

Dave crossed his arms and gazed down at Alvin thoughtfully. "Is there something you want to ask me, Alvin?" he said. Alvin cleared his throat and winked at Simon, who sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, there is one teensy weensy itty bitty thing I need you to do for me, now that you mention it," he coughed, passing up a test to Dave. "We have to get this signed and return it to the teacher today."

Alvin began to fidget and twirl his foot around on the kitchen floor, his head hung. "Alviiin!" screeched Dave upon seeing his test grade. Theodore and Simon looked up to watch the festivities. "You failed! Alvin, what I am going to do with you!?" Dave demanded, waving the test in Alvin's face.

Alvin's face fell and he tried to look pathetic. "Honest, Dave, I did my best! I was sick that day, so it was really hard to concentrate! I've started tutoring lessons, though, thanks to good ol' Simon!" Alvin lied, pointing to his brother. Simon raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"You have, have you? Simon, do you have anything to say on this subject?" Dave growled. Simon looked at Alvin, who shot his brother a pleading look. Simon sighed and hopped out of his chair. "Don't worry, Dave. His teacher agreed to let him re-take the next Tuesday. I'm helping him get ready for it to the very best of my abilities," Simon concluded, grabbing his school books.

Dave seemed reluctant, but he finally sighed. "All right. I trust you, Simon. See to it that Alvin does his very best," he said, signing the test and handing it back over to Alvin. Alvin stuffed the test in his backpack, waved, and rushed out the front door, barely taking time to holler "Bye, Dave!" over his shoulder. Simon shook his head, drug Theodore away from the refrigerator, and headed out the door as well.

"Come on, Alvin. You made me tell that lie this morning, but I at least intend to keep my word. Now pick up your math book," Simon said, pointing to his beloved chalk board. Alvin groaned and picked up his book, his eyes bleary from the continuous hours of doing nothing but studying. "Aw, come on, Simon. My brain can't take all this studying. I'm not used to it. I need fresh air! Open spaces! Lots of people!" Alvin whined.

Simon readjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "If you fail that test again, you'd might as well get used to this type of life, because Dave will ground you for a year!" he reasoned, writing out an equation on his chalkboard. That statement seemed to somber Alvin up a bit.

"All right, all right. I'm listening, Simon. Enlighten me!" Alvin quipped.

"Thank you," Simon said, pointing to the chalkboard. "Now then, this is the variable x. It can be substituted for any such value that is deemed usable, but variable y is diff-" Simon suddenly broke off from his lecture and clutched his chest.

Simon's face paled and his eyes grew wide. He broke out in a cold sweat and great waves of pain racked his body. He collapsed to the ground, thrashing. Alvin jumped up, shocked. "C-come on, Simon. I-it's not th-that bad," he stuttered, hoping that what he was seeing was untrue.

Simon groaned and clenched his teeth, holding in a scream of pure pain. Sweat was pouring down his ashen forehead. "Dave! Dave!" Alvin screeched, rushing to his brother's side. Simon groaned as Alvin rolled his brother onto his back and held him in his lap.

Dave rushed into the room, looking around the room furiously. "What's going on in h-" Dave stopped short when he saw Simon. "Simon! Alvin, what's wrong? What happened?!" Dave demanded, rushing to his son's side.

Simon bit his lip again, his body screaming in agony. He could almost feel hot knives ripping and tearing at his chest. His breath came in short, quick spurts. Dave grabbed Simon and held him close. "Alvin, go call 911! Hurry!"Dave commanded, and Alvin rushed off to obey.

Another wave of pain crashed through Simon's body, but this time he couldn't hold back his scream of terror. Dave held his son, rocking him back and forth, saying over and over "What's wrong? What happened?"

Simon could only whimper and sob, clawing at his chest, his eyes squeezed shut in pain. Alvin finally came running back, panting. "They're on their way," he reported. Dave nodded slightly, trying to hold Simon's hands down so that he wouldn't hurt himself.

Suddenly, Simon's blue sweater ripped as though from the inside. Dave gasped and Alvin squeaked fearfully when they both saw that Simon's chest had been ripped open in four slashes. Simon gagged and clutched at his chest again, squeaking fearfully. Blood gushed from his wounds.

"Oh my-Simon!" screeched Dave, recoiling. Alvin screamed, yanking on his cap fearfully.

Not a moment too soon, sirens were heard outside the house. Dave gathered up the bloody, gasping Simon in his arms and, sobbing, rushed outside to meet the paramedics, with Alvin close at his heels.

* * *

Ok, so that's the end of Chapter 1. Hopefully I'll be getting Chapter 2 up soon, thinking about calling it Voices or something to that extent. I hope you like it. If not, gimme some criticism! Love hearing it! Please R&R! Thanks for reading!


	2. Voices

Ok, here's chapter 2. This one takes a while to get going. I'm kind of trying to take some advice someone left me and slow the story down a bit and try to get into the characters a bit more. I think I went a bit too slow on this one, though. Sorry about that. Thanks for the reviews and criticism! I love them! Ok, let's get the show on the road!

* * *

Alvin and Theodore sat on the foot of Simon's hospital bed. Alvin embraced Theodore, who was whimpering. "He'll be all right, Theodore. Just look at him. He's getting better already. We can call him zipper chest after all of this is over," Alvin said, hoping to reassure his brother. However, he couldn't keep a note of panic out of his voice. Theodore whimpered and snuggled against his brothers chest. "I don't like being in this place, Alvin. It's so-so scary here," Theodore whined, sniffing. Alvin nodded, patting Theodore on the head. "Simon'll be all better and we'll be out of here in no time."

"Unh...A-Alvin? Theod-dore?" Alvin and Theodore both turned at the sound of their names to see Simon looking at them groggily and blearily.

"Simon!" Alvin and Theodore chorused. They crawled up to the head of Simon's bed, smiling so broadly that their faces seemed to be split in half. Simon gazed at them confusedly, squinting. "Oh, here ya go," Alvin said, grabbing Simon's glasses off the side table and placing them on his face.

Simon nodded in thanks and groaned wearily. "What happened?" he said, his voice barely a whisper. Theodore looked at Alvin, waiting for Alvin to recount the story of what had happened while he had been at school rehearsing for his school play.

"You don't remember, Simon?" Alvin asked, unbelieving. Simon shook his head weakly, wincing at the pain it caused him. "Well, it...no one really knows what happened, Simon. You see...I-I uh...," Alvin stammered. He scratched his head, unsure of what to say and how to say it.

"Where's Dave?" Simon asked, gazing around the room. Theodore and Alvin exchanged glances. "Uh, well...he's uh,"Theodore stuttered, twiddling his thumbs. Alvin jumped in, clamping his hand over Theodore's mouth. "He left a little while ago to get some dinner. He should be back anytime now," he said airily.

Simon narrowed his eyes and gazed at his brother. He knew that Alvin was lying, that was obvious from Alvin's cheesy little grin, but he figured he wouldn't get anything else out of him. Sighing, he pushed himself up into a better sitting position.

His blankets fell back a bit, revealing Simon's heavily bandaged chest. Simon gasped. "What in the world happened to me!?" he demanded. Alvin looked away guiltily. "Alvin, tell me! What's going on here?!" Simon bellowed.

He suddenly fell back onto his pillow, his strength failing him. Theodore gasped and sat up, trying to find out if there was anything at all that he could do to help his ailing brother. Simon waved him away. "Its all right, Theodore. I just overexerted myself a bit. I'm fine," he assured his little brother, patting him on the head.

Alvin sighed and put his palms down in a gesture of surrender to his glaring, bespectacled brother. "Ok, ok. I'll tell you what happened, Simon," he conceded. At that exact moment, however, the door opened, and Dave staggered in, accompanied by two rather large police officers.

"Dave!" Simon gasped. "Simon! You're awake!" Dave exclaimed happily. He rushed over to his son's bedside and embraced his head in an awkward hug. He kissed him on the top of his furry head and leaned back. "We've been so worried about you," Dave said, smiling down at his son.

Simon remained silent, shocked at what he was seeing. Dave looked so...old. He had bags under his eyes, his cheeks were tearstained, and his hair was mussed and uncombed. Even his clothes were dirty and unkempt. He literally looked like he had been to Hell and back.

Dave noticed Simon looking him over and tried to smooth his hair back nervously. "Don't worry, Simon. Now that you're awake, everything's going to be all right," he said, his voice thick with emotion. Simon noticed tears forming in the corners Dave's eyes. He turned to look at his brother's and saw that they were crying as well.

"What's going on? What happened!?" Simon demanded exasperatedly. Dave looked at Alvin, who hung his head. Theodore whimpered and scooted even closer to Simon. Dave sighed and grasped Simon's hand.

"We're not really sure, Simon. Alvin says that you were saying something about math one minute, and holding your chest and thrashing on the ground the next," Dave explained, stroking Simon's hand gently. "When I came into the room, you were still clawing at your chest, but..but that's when...that's when it-it happened...," Dave choked, his voice breaking at the end.

Simon looked down at his chest. "This? How did I-"

"We don't know, Simon. It just sort of...happened."

Simon looked up at the police officers, both of whom were observing Dave with a disgusted look. "They think that you hurt me, don't they?" Simon observed, his eyes bright. Dave sighed. "They're just doing their job, boys. Until we know what happened to you, Simon, the police will be keeping an eye on us, ok?" Dave whispered, looking into his son's eyes.

Simon looked back at the police officers and narrowed his eyes, receiving raised eyebrows in return. "Dave didn't do this to me!" he growled. Alvin pushed Simon back onto his pillow, restraining his irate brother.

"They're just trying to help, Simon," Dave soothed. "They're just trying to help."

* * *

Simon sighed happily and breathed in the wonderful smells of the classroom. The aromas of chalk, textbooks, and strange chemicals from the science lab invaded his nostrils and made him smile with pure exhilaration.

He opened his Science book and smoothed down the pages. 'It feels so good to be back,' he thought happily.

Simon had spent a little over a week in the hospital, although most of his time was spent either defending Dave or answering questions about his life. Although he had healed physically, his emotions were strained. Dave couldn't do anything without a police officer being there to peer over his shoulder suspiciously. Even Alvin and Theodore had to be supervised around Dave.

Simon sighed and shook his head, snapping out of his moment of reminiscence. "Hey, Simon. Are you feeling any better?" Simon turned to see Jeanette smiling demurely at him. Simon nodded and flipped through his textbook. "I'm doing all right. Thank you for asking," Simon said. Jeanette only smiled and sat down in the desk beside him, adjusting her glasses.

"Everyone's glad that you're back, Simon. Especially me! It's been so hard putting up with just Alvin and Brittany," she joked, and Simon faced her chuckling. "I can most certainly imagine," he laughed. "To tell you the truth, though, I'm glad to be at school and away from all of those idiotic police." Jeanette nodded sympathetically. "Poor Theodore doesn't know what to do anymore. He's been clinging to Alvin and me lately because he's so scared. We hope that everything will go back to normal after our next concert, though. Everyone's just trying to make it through until then," he continued.

Jeanette nodded, pulling out her own textbook. "I'm sure everything will be all right, Simon. You'll all pull through. You always do."

* * *

* * *

Alvin poked his head out between the curtains and pulled it back in a few seconds later, smiling. "Whew! This is just what I've been needing! The crowds, the excitement, the music!" he exclaimed. Simon looked over at Theodore, who was enjoying an early snack from the buffet table. Dave was chatting it up with some of the band members...with police supervision, of course.  
"Come on, Simon! Loosen up! This is gonna be fun!" Simon nodded gratefully. He had been looking forward to this concert for almost two weeks, and he intended to enjoy it.

"All right, folks! You've been waiting for them, but the waiting's over! Here they are! Alvin! Simon! Theodore! It's the Chipmunks!" Simon grabbed Theodore and bolted out on the stage, quickly followed by Alvin who was smiling and flashing the crowd thumbs-up signs and blowing kisses.  
"All right! Let's get this party started!" Alvin yelled into his microphone. Simon winked at Theodore who rolled his eyes at Alvin, but they both quickly launched into a rendition of "Purple People Eater".

The crowd screamed and danced, waving signs and singing along with the chipmunks. Simon looked out at the crowd as he chirped "we wear short shorts" and he could almost feel the love for his job swelling inside of his chest. The bright lights, smoke, ecstatic screams, and pounding music just made him all the happier.

"One eyed one horn flying pur-" Simon suddenly choked and stopped singing. His grip tightened on his microphone. The bright lights that had been so attractive moments before now seemed blinding and painful. He squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears, dropping his microphone.

The music screeched to a stop, and the crowd slowly realized that something was wrong. Alvin turned to see what was wrong, and his eyes widened when he realized that it was happening again. "Simon!" he shrieked, dropping his own microphone and rushing to his brother's side.

Theodore squeaked in terror and ran over to Simon, close to tears. "Oh, wh-what's wrong, Simon? What's the matter?" he sobbed. Simon looked between his fingers and saw Alvin gazing at him with huge, worried eyes. "It-It must be happening again, Alvin!" he gasped.

Dave came running out onto the stage, his heart pounding in his chest. "Call 911! Get some help!" he shouted, waving his arms at the staff backstage. Simon collapsed into Theodore's arms, and Theodore overbalanced with the sudden weight of his much larger brother.

They both crashed to the stage, with Theodore positioned under Simon. Alvin yanked Theodore out from under Simon. "Simon, what's wrong?!" Dave exclaimed fearfully. Simon dug his face into the stage, pressing his hands over his ears.

It was all in his head. He could hear voices...so many voices. They were screaming, crying, talking. He couldn't make out the words, but he didn't want to. The volume kept increasing. His vision began to blur, and he couldn't hear anyone else. He couldn't hear Dave screaming for someone to help, he couldn't hear Theodore crying, he couldn't hear Alvin asking him over and over what was wrong, and he couldn't hear the crowd screaming fearfully. All that he could hear was the voices...the strange, screaming voices.

"What do you want from me?!" he demanded. He was completely immune to the outer world now. He could only focus on the voices. One voice rose above the others. It was demanding, concise, and furious. "Release us. Release us now. We will escape despite your attempts to hold us!"

Simon screeched in fear. "What do you mean!? Who are you!? What's going on!?" he demanded, trying desperately to cling to his sanity. A piercing screech thudded through his head, and a blinding pain exploded on his left cheek. He began to sob uncontrollably, begging his invisible tormentors to leave him alone. "Please! Just leave me alone!"

* * *

Well, there's chapter 2. Sorry it's so...sucky. Best word I can find for it. I wanna explain what's happening to Simon in the next chapter, so hopefully I won't get caught up in describing another good smelling textbook! lol Seriously, though, sorry about it, I just hope the next chapter's better. Please R&R! 


	3. Munchie Crunchies

Third chapter. Once again, this chapter sucks. I think I've got writer's block. I can't find out how to word it like I want to. So, let me apologize ahead of time for this one. The action's not till the end, and it's not even very good. Thanks for reading it, though! I love ya'll!

* * *

Darkness. It was all Simon could see. All he had been able to see for quite some time, now. Time. What was time? How long had he been in this abyss? No, snap out of it! He had to keep his sanity. He couldn't succumb to this. He had to fight it. Fight it and win. Who knew what would happen if he lost?

He blinked his eyes in the darkness and tried to pry through the fog that was so abundant. Then, for the first time in what seemed like forever, he heard something. He sniffed and inched forward, blinking his eyes needlessly. There was nothing. His hopes fell. Wait, there it was again. A whistle of some sort, maybe? He had to find out.

Staggering toward the sound, relying on nothing but his acute hearing he made his way forward. At least, that was the best direction he could guess, seeing as how everything was pitch black. So black it seemed to invade his lungs and suffocate him.

There it was again. A soft, airy sort of whistling sound. Panting now, Simon kept going. His legs were aching. He had been running so long...or had he? He didn't care. He just kept going.

Wait! Was that...could it be? Light? He plowed ahead, the small pinhead of light appearing to him like a heavenly host. The whistling sound grew louder, and the light kept getting brighter...until...

Simon blinked repeatedly, amazed at what he was seeing. The white walls, the giant window that overlooked a very busy city, the iv bag with the tube running into a needle buried in his hand. Beautiful. That was the only word he could think of. A small tear fell from his eye. He had escaped that endless hellhole!

Looking to his right, he located the source of the whistling. It was Theodore, curled up in a chair beside his bed. He was sleeping soundly, making a nasally, whistling sound with every exhale. Simon smiled, having never been this happy to see his little brother.

He reached over and retrieved his glasses, adjusting them once on his face. "Theodore? Theodore?" he whispered, gently shaking his pudgy brother.

Theodore opened his eyes wearily and blinked at Simon. "Oh, Simon?" he said groggily. Simon smiled at him. "Simon!" Theodore squeaked happily. "Oh, you're awake!" Simon embraced him in a hug. "How long have I been unconscious?" he asked once they parted. "Well, it's been almost four days now," Theodore informed him. "Four days!?" Simon gasped. He touched the bandage on his cheek.

"Well, where's Alvin? And Dave?" he asked, trying to calm himself. 'Surely the police haven't taken them away,' he thought, trying to calm his fears. "Oh, well, uh...Dave-Dave had to take Alvin outside for a while. They should be back pretty soon," Theodore chirped, crawling up onto Simon's bed. Simon patted him on the head lovingly.

"Um, um, Simon?" Theodore stuttered, biting his thumb nervously.

"Yes?"

"Well, you know...we've all been wondering, and Dave really wants to know what's been happening to you," Theodore whispered.

Simon shook his head and shrugged. "I'm not sure, Theodore," he said. He wanted to say more to reassure his little brother, but, for once, he found himself at a loss for words. He quickly regained his composure and smiled at his brother, though, squeezing his shoulders. "Once the doctors diagnose me, I'll be fine," he said casually. Theodore nodded, hanging his head.

A slow creak broke the silence a few moments later, and Dave walked in, carrying a red eyed Alvin in his arms. "Simon!" Dave said, smiling. Alvin looked up and gasped, zooming to his brother's bed. "You're finally awake!" Alvin exclaimed, launching himself onto Simon's bed.

Simon and Theodore both bounced when Alvin landed, and Simon laughed. It was so good to see everyone again. Dave made his way to the chair Theodore had been occupying before and lowered himself into it. "Well, how are you feeling?" Dave asked. Simon nodded to him. "I'm fine. My cheek doesn't even hurt," he replied.

Alvin leaned forward, inspecting his brother with a cautious eye.

"What's happening to you, Simon, isn't some sort of side effect from one of your experiments, is it?" Dave asked, regarding Alvin with a silencing glare. Simon looked at both of them, raising his eyebrows. "I should most certainly think not," Simon answered, crossing his arms huffily. "None of my experiments are ever performed on humans...or chipmunks, for that matter."

Dave smiled and patted Simon's head. "I was just making sure, son," he explained.

"Of course not, Dave!" Alvin suddenly exclaimed. "It's just like I told you! Simon, you're always trying to talk to aliens, right?"

Simon turned to look at Alvin perplexedly. "Well, yes...I have tried to make contact on more than one occasion," he replied warily.

"Alvin...," Dave began in a warning tone. Alvin shrugged Dave off, though, and continued. "See? Isn't it obvious? Right, Theodore?"

Theodore perked up at his name, but merely looked more confused than ever. "I-I guess so?" he stammered.

Alvin sighed exasperatedly. "Look! Simon's been talking to aliens, and now they've come down and landed in his body! They must be doing this! He's got invisible aliens in him!" Alvin exclaimed, saying the idea like he was surprised that no one had thought of this obvious explanation before.

Simon, Dave, and Theodore merely looked at Alvin quizzically. Simon was the first to burst out laughing. Dave smiled and shook his head sheepishly, and Theodore frowned, now more confused than ever. "So...why would the aliens want to hurt Simon?" he asked, tugging at his lip.

Simon chuckled and shook his head. "There are no aliens, Theodore," he explained. Alvin sniffed and crossed his arms. "Have it your way, but there's something weird going on here," he growled, plopping down beside Simon.

Simon nodded, regaining his composure. "Yes, that much is certain. We need to find out what, though," he observed.

* * *

"All right, that concludes this lesson. Have a good weekend everyone!" Simon quickly gathered his books and slid out of his desk. "Hey, Simon! Are you feeling any better?" Jeanette asked, blinking at Simon.

Simon nodded. "Yes. I'm quite all right. The doctors are still working on a diagnosis, but they're getting close," he replied, walking Jeanette to the door.

"It's too bad you've been in the hospital so much, lately. You missed all the tryouts for the school play!" Eleanor, standing just outside the door, chirped at Simon. Simon waved the idea off. "I'm sure Theodore will do just fine in it without me," he said. Eleanor smiled. "Yeah, I guess. He misses you and Alvin always being there to walk him home, though," she explained.

"I can't believe Alvin didn't try out!" Brittany growled, sidling up to the group. She smoothed her skirt out and fluffed her hair. "Of course, he was probably too afraid of the competition," she laughed. Simon rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of Alvin, I'd better go find him and head home," he said, waving the Chipettes off. "Good luck in the play!"

He wandered off down the hallway, making his way to his locker. His mouth dropped open when he finally made it to his locker. Staggering up the hall, loaded down with a pile of books, was none other than his own brother, Alvin. Simon blinked and rubbed his eyes, refusing to believe what he was seeing.

"A-Alvin?" he squeaked. Alvin threw his books in his locker and leaned against the door, forcing his weight against it to close it. "Oh! S-Simon! You're out of class early, aren't you?" he asked, grinning sheepishly. "Why do you have all of those books? I've never seen you focus on one book, much less 10!" Simon quipped, walking up to Alvin.

Alvin looked at his locker as though just realizing it was there. "Oh, those things? That's just a little light reading to keep my mind in tip top shape," he said casually. Simon regarded him with a beady eye. Alvin grinned broadly.

Simon opened the locker and pulled a book out while Alvin hung his head ashamedly. "Doctoring and Diagnoses? The Supernatural? Medical Science? Alvin, what on earth-" Simon stuttered, completely overcome.

"Well, no one else is helping to find out what's wrong with you, so I've been doing a little studying," Alvin said huffily, defending his reputation as a complete non-bookworm.

Simon regarded the books for a moment later, then returned them to Alvin's locker. "Thank you, Alvin," he said after a moment, realizing how much his brother was sacrficing for him. Alvin readjusted his backpack strap, blushing.

"Come on, we'd better get home before Dave starts worrying," he said, walking off down the hall. Simon followed Alvin in a daze.

As Simon and Alvin walked down the sidewalk in silence, Simon had begun to really put some thought into his predicament. 'What if Alvin was right about the aliens? Impossible. Perhaps it was a new sort of disease that he had contracted? Maybe it was some sort of horrible flesh eating cancer?'

"Hey, Simon! Look!" Alvin said, jogging Simon out of his thoughts. "Huh? What is it?" Simon said, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Munchie Crunchies. That's Theodore's favorite cereal. Let's get him some to cheer him up," Alvin reasoned, already heading across the street to the small store.

Simon shrugged and followed Alvin, adjusting his glasses.

* * *

* * *

"That'll be $2.74, kids." Alvin turned and looked at Simon sheepishly. "Can I borrow $2.74, Simon?" he asked, grinning. Simon sighed and rolled his eyes, digging out the money. The plump clerk popped her gum, eyeing them impatiently.

"Thanks!" Alvin told the clerk a moment later after the sale had been made. They made their way to the door, but it opened before they could leave. No human walked through, however. A large, growling mountain lion plodded through the doors, swishing its' tail. Alvin gasped as Simon jerked him back behind a row of canned goods.

The mountain lion was a beautiful specimen. Its' fur was a brilliant gold color, its' muscles rippling with every step it took. Its' paws were huge, almost the size of a human hand. It had large, golden eyes that were surveying its' environment with a cool regard. In short, it was a mountain lion the size of a male lion.

Simon poked his head out from behind the aisle to see where it had gone, and noticed it sniffing the ground. He pulled his head back and tried to steady his breathing. "What do we do?" Alvin squeaked fearfully, his eyes wide. Simon gulped and wrung his hands. "We have to get out of here," he whispered, keeping his voice low. He motioned to the back of the store, where an exit sign was blinking in glorious beauty.

They began to tiptoe to the back of the store, hearts pounding in their small chests. Simon began to smile, reaching for the exit door, when a low growl met his ears. He turned his head to the side, slowly, and felt the air rush out of him in an instant.

There was the lion, regarding him with that same cool gaze. Alvin grabbed his brother's shoulders, screeching in fear. "Hey! Over here! Here, kitty, kitty!" Alvin and Simon looked up to see the clerk brandishing a broom and doing her best to get the cat's attention. "I called 911! They'll be here any second, kids! Just hang tight!"

"Eh-heh...Hang to what?" Alvin choked, gripping Simon tightly. Simon gulped and began inching back, never taking his eyes from the lion's. "Slowly, Alvin. Do not make any sudden movements," he said, emphasizing NOT desperately.

In the blink of an eye, the lion made her move. She leapt forward and, in one fluid, graceful movement, brushed Alvin off Simon like an insignificant gnat.

Alvin crashed to the floor and skidded back a few feet, screeching loudly. The clerk gathered him in her arms and helped him up, crawling away from the lion. Simon gasped, feeling his blood freeze in his veins. He was cut off from Alvin and the clerk. He was cut off from safety. Of course, he could get over there easily. He just had to find a way to get past an enormous, rather ravenous looking lion.

She turned on him, her whiskers twitching. Simon squeaked and backed up, shielding himself with his arms. He froze then, his mouth dropping open. The volume was increasing in his head again. He could hear the screaming, incoherent voices.

There was no pain, only a sense of overwhelming helplessness. His legs turned to jelly and he collapsed to the ground, sprawling on the tiled floor unceremoniously. The lion continued to advance, her powerful limbs dwarfing Simon.

As quickly as it had happened, however, it was all over. Simon felt that it was over. He remained unmoving, gazing up at the lion. She blinked at him, knelt down, ran her rough tongue over his fur, then turned and bolted out the store door.

Simon felt Alvin grab him and hoist him roughly to his feet, but he was unable to respond. He felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off him, and he was unable to cope with the suddenness of it.

"Simon! Snap out of it, Simon!" Alvin exclaimed, swatting Simon's cheeks. Simon regarded him blearily, leaning heavily on him. "Are you ok?" Alvin asked feverishly.

The clerk took Simon and hoisted him into her surprisingly strong arms, checking him over for wounds. "Her soul," Simon finally whispered. Alvin looked up at him worriedly.

"She just wanted her soul. She didn't tell me. I just...knew. She has her soul back, now," Simon said breathily. "She took her soul...out of me."

* * *

Ok, well there's sucky chapter 3. Even the action was bad in this chapter. Man, I think I'm in need of some major criticism. I might have to take a break and try to get back into it. Ok, about the whole alien thing that Alvin mentions, I want to heartily thank NikChik-11 for that! That was genius. All credit goes to her. She came up with that in a comment, and I instigated it into my story. Thanks so much! Brilliant.

Please R&R, and thanks for reading! ...please review...I think I need help! lol Thanks everybody! Ya'll rule!


	4. Escape and Explain

Woo! Hey, guys! I'm SO freaking sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Not only did I have the worst case of writer's block ever, but I also discovered a very time consuming game called Guitar Hero and my computer somehow managed to get a lovely virus that shuts my internet off at the most random times without any warning. In fact, this is my fourth time typing this! Anyway, I'm sorry, and I hope I didn't run anyone off. Love you, guys! Let's go!

* * *

"Dave! Dave! You made it! Come on! He's by the ambulance!" Alvin exclaimed, grabbing Dave's jacket and dragging him off. Theodore scurried along behind him, holding Dave's pants fearfully. 

Dave staggered over to the ambulance in front of the small store, carrying two clamoring chipmunks along with him. He finally collapsed beside Simon, who was sitting on a stretcher with a blanket draped about his shoulders, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Simon, are you all right, son?" Dave asked, wrapping an arm about his shoulders protectively. Simon turned to look at Dave, but it was though he didn't see him. His gaze was misty and unfocused. He finally turned his head back after a moment of silence, gazing with that same unseeing look.

Dave sighed, shaking his head sullenly. "Sir? Is this your son?" Dave looked up to see a plump, greasy woman gazing down at him. She smiled, revealing rather yellow teeth. Dave forced a smile up at her, and Alvin covered his mouth to stifle his giggles.

Dave shot him a silencing glare, then rose to shake hands with the clerk. "This strapping young lad," said the clerk, motioning to Alvin, "was just telling me that his name is Simon. I must say, Simon is a very brave little boy." She patted the unresponsive Simon on the head.

Dave nodded and placed a hand on Simon's shoulder. "The police told me everything that happened. Thank you so much for protecting my son," Dave said sincerely, smiling. The clerk waved her hand, dismissing the idea. "Think nothing of it," she said, and strode off to chat with a rather large police officer who seemed to be winking at her.

Dave shook his head and smiled, turning around and kneeling to embrace his son, cradling his head. "Everything will be all right, Simon. Let's get you home," he said comfortingly. Alvin and Theodore watched as Dave picked Simon up and cradled him.

Simon blinked, unmoving and silent as usual. "Dave? Will Simon be ok?" Theodore inquired, sniffing nervously. "Of course, Theodore!" Dave said, looking down at his son with a soft gaze. "We just need to get him home and let him rest, ok?"

Alvin leapt up happily. "Wait right here, Dave!" he exclaimed, dashing off before Dave could protest. Dave sighed and carried Simon over to his car, hugging him protectively. Alvin reappeared by Dave's side just as he reached the car. "Look, Theodore! Simon bought this for you," he said, handing the box of Munchie Crunchies to Theodore.

Theodore gasped and clutched his box of cereal. "Munchie Crunchies! These are my favorite!" he exclaimed happily. He smiled and looked up at Simon. "Thanks, Simon!" Simon replied by wrapping his arms about Dave's neck and laying his head on Dave's shoulder.

Dave was shocked. He lowered Simon into the car and buckled him up, feeling Simon's forehead for a fever. Luckily, he didn't have one, but he was still silent and unresponsive. "Don't worry, boys," Dave reassured Alvin and Theodore, "Simon's just in a bit of shock." Theodore clambered into the back seat with Simon while Alvin sat up front with Dave. Theodore sat with his box of cereal in his lap, gazing up at Simon.

After a few moments of silent driving, Theodore perked up. "I got the lead part in the school play, Dave!" he said, trying to muster up as much enthusiasm as possible. "We knew you could do it, Theodore," Simon said suddenly, patting Theodore on the head. His gaze remained unwavering, though, and he never even looked at Theodore. Alvin craned his neck around to exchange a confused glance with Theodore.

* * *

Simon hunkered down under his covers in his bed, dozing. Dave sat by his head, ruffling his fur lovingly. Alvin and Theodore sat on his bed, gazing down at him, Theodore's eyes wide. 

"All right, fellas, I'm gonna go fix some dinner. Come downstairs in a little while, ok?" Dave said, rising from the chair and stretching. Alvin nodded. "Ok, Dave!" Theodore chirped.

The door creaked closed behind him, and the action began immediately.

Simon sat up in bed and flung his covers off him. Alvin and Theodore fell back in shock, squeaking fearfully. "Simon!" Theodore exclaimed. Simon whirled on his brother and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Ssh, Theodore!" he hissed, putting a finger to his lips to emphasize his point. Alvin raised his eyebrows, but collected himself quickly.

"Hang on there, Simon! What's going on?" he demanded, placing his hands on his hips. Simon released Theodore and hopped out of bed, retrieving his glasses. He grabbed his backpack and flung it on his bed unceremoniously. "I have to go somewhere," he said nonchalantly, folding clothes and packing them into his back pack hurriedly.

"Where are you going, Simon?" Theodore asked, crawling to the edge of the bed to look at Simon, who was now crawling under his bed. He emerged victoriously with a flashlight, then flung it into his backpack as well. Alvin stood back, observing the goings on with a thoughtful look. "I'm not really sure, Theodore, but I know that I have to do it, ok?" he said, patting Theodore on the head absentmindedly.

Alvin crossed his arms. "You don't think you're going alone, do you?" he demanded. Simon straightened and looked around the room, chin in his hands, a thoughtful look on his face. His face suddenly brightened and he dashed away to grab some more things from his side of the room.

"Um...uh, S-Simon? Where are you planning to go?" Theodore stuttered, following Simon around the room. Simon dodged his brother nimbly, running back and forth and tossing more things back into his backpack.

Alvin finally took things into his own hands and leapt onto Simon's bed, grabbing Simon's backpack. He grunted under its' surprising weight and slid off the bed, spilling things as he went. Simon turned and spotted Alvin dashing across the room to the open window. "No!" Simon gasped, streaking after him. "Tell us where you're going, Simon, or you'll lose all of this!" Alvin dared, straining to hold the backpack upright.

Simon crossed his arms and glowered at Alvin. "I wouldn't exactly lose it, Alvin, it would just take me a much longer time than I had planned on to get ready," he said matter-of-factly. Theodore clambered onto his own bed and sat there, a bemused look splaying across his features.

"Well, then, I guess you'd better spill!" Alvin said, his arms aching. "Say, Simon, what exactly did you pack in here?" Simon began advancing toward Alvin, his hands out in a surrendering motion. "That's none of your business, Alvin. Give me my pack back, I have to leave soon!" he demanded hotly. Alvin glowered at him. "Why do you have to leave so soon, Simon?" Theodore asked.

"Give it!" Simon demanded, leaping at Alvin. Alvin gasped and tried to lunge forward, out of his grasp, but only succeeded in getting slammed into the windowsill that much harder. His grip on the pack loosened, and he felt it slipping out of his fingers. "Simon! I'm dropping it!" he screeched. Simon clambered on top of him and grabbed the backpack in mid-air, exhaling in relief. Alvin slid to the floor, his cap askew.

Simon clutched his backpack to his chest and retreated to his side of the room once more, his nose in the air. Alvin looked at Theodore and shrugged helplessly. "Um, S-Simon? Where you're going isn't...d-dangerous, is it?" Theodore asked, beckoning to Simon questioningly. "I've already told you, Theodore, I don't know exactly where I'm going, so I'm not too sure about the conditions of the environment," Simon replied, gathering his things off the floor.

Theodore looked at Alvin for translation. "C'mon, Simon! You know we won't let you leave without us!" Alvin declared, rising and brushing himself off. Simon glared at him, zipping his backpack with an air of finality. "Neither one of you is to follow me. I don't want to put either of you in any danger," Simon explained, shouldering his pack.

"But Dave will be so worried!" Theodore said. Alvin crossed him arms. "We're going with you, Simon," he said, nodding his head to signal that that was the end of the matter. Simon sighed and his shoulders sagged, realizing that this was one fight he would not win. "All right, but hurry and pack. We might be gone for a while," Simon said, ushering Theodore off the bed. Theodore smiled and leapt off the bed happily. "Ok, Simon! Come on, Alvin!" he declared.

* * *

Simon peeked around the doorframe, holding his breath. He staggered forward suddenly, then turned and shoved Alvin back. "It was Theodore!" Alvin protested. Simon clamped his hands over Alvin's mouth. "Ssh!" he hissed. He peeked back around the doorframe, gulping. 

Dave was still dealing with a few pans on the stove, luckily. Simon sighed and released Alvin, glowering at them. "Quietly, both of you!" he spat, motioning them forward. They tiptoed forward, ever so quietly, past the door of the kitchen. Simon leaned on the wall, letting out his breath in a whoosh of relief.

Alvin was already by the front door, however, and he motioned for Theodore and Simon to follow him.

They slipped out the front door silently, shutting it behind them. "We made it!" Theodore cheered. Simon put a finger to his lips. "We're not in the clear, yet, Theodore. Come on, let's go," he said. Alvin nudged Theodore forward, and they set off down the street, their feet pounding the sidewalk.

* * *

"Why are we even here?" Alvin asked exasperatedly, his shoulders sagging. Simon looked at him haughtily. Theodore collapsed to the ground, panting. "It feels like we've been walking forever!" he whined. Simon helped him up, gazing at the forest in front of them. 

Although it was day, it seemed to emanate darkness. There was a row of trees in front of them, almost as though a perfect boundary had been formed to shut off the forest from the modern world. "It's only been a few days, Theodore," Simon replied.

"A few days!?" Alvin exclaimed, gasping in his usual dramatic way. "Well, to be more exact, it's been three days," Simon said, adjusting his glasses and gazing up at the trees.

Theodore gasped, pointing at Simon. "S-Simon, your arm!" he gasped. Simon raised an eyebrow and looked down at the arm Theodore was indicating. His shirt sleeve was bulging, and it suddenly burst open. His arm revealed three superficial gashes, blood oozing from the wounds.

Simon gulped and blinked, wincing at the pain. Theodore's eyes widened, and Alvin gasped. Theodore whimpered. Simon sighed and lowered his pack, opening it and pulling out a first aid kit. "Don't worry, Theodore. I always come prepared," he assured his brother.

He carefully dressed his wound, gritting his teeth to bare the pain. Once finished, he returned the kit to his pack and patted his arm. "See? It's not so bad, Theodore," Simon said, straightening up once again. Theodore whimpered and looked at Alvin, who adjusted his pack.

"Come on, Simon. You know, so tell us! What's going on?" Alvin demanded. Simon remained silent, gaping up the tall pine trees. "When that mountain lion attacked me, I knew she didn't want to hurt me," he finally said, breaking the silence. "How could you know something like that!? We were running for our lives!" Alvin declared desperately, flinging his arms about dramatically.

Simon shrugged. "I just knew. When she took her soul from me, though, it was almost like she left me a puzzle of information to sort out. You see, I began to remember things and think of things that I've never thought of before. It was as though information had been planted in my brain," he explained. Theodore's face clouded; he wasn't getting any of this.

"Then I remembered something strange. When I was only a few hours old, I remember seeing a huge bear. At least, I'm pretty sure it was a bear. It's size outstripped that of any other bear, though. Anyway, he was accompanied by at least six more creatures, as well as I can remember. Then, from the new information I had acquired, I reasoned that these amazing specimen were...well, I think they were forest gods," Simon said, his voice trailing at the end.

Alvin's jaw dropped open, and Theodore's brow furrowed. Alvin opened his mouth to say something, then shut it again. Then opened it, then shut it. He finally managed to choke, "So you've got a bunch of souls in you?"

Simon blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, I wouldn't exactly put it that way, but that's the main idea. I'm not entirely certain that my theory is correct, but the lion left me a certain amount of information that I have interpreted to the best of my abilities. I don't why they bestowed their souls upon me, but I'm almost certain that they did," he replied.

Alvin was silent once more. "You think you've got a bunch of forest spirits in you!?" he demanded. Simon glared at him. "No, Alvin, I do not. I think that I have the souls of certain forest gods within me," he snapped. Theodore blinked slowly, trying to make sense of everything he had heard. ⌠And the-the lion told you this?" he stammered.

Simon blushed once more, embarrassed at the words he could hear coming from his mouth. "Well, she didn't exactly tell me, but she left me with some information that I just...sort of...knew," he finished lamely.

"So, why do we have to go in the forest, then? Theodore asked. "To return the souls," Simon replied definitely.

Alvin sighed and stood beside Simon resolutely. "Well, there's no day like today. Come on, Theodore. Let's get this over with so we can get home," he said. With that, the three chipmunk brothers embarked on their journey into the dark, silent forest.

* * *

Well, there you have it. You wait forever, and you get...that. Sorry. lol At least now you've got a better idea of what's going on with Simon, but his condition will continue to be explained throughout the rest of this story.

Well, take that, you stupid virus! I finally got this chapter put up...WHAT NOW!? Ok, thanks for reading everyone. Please read and review. Please? lol

Sorry this chapter's so boring. It's kind of an intermission right before the real action starts. Hope ya'll liked it.

I'll talk to ya'll later, and thank you so much for reading and for all the awesome reviews!


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